Rope No.64

Plant - Bramble
Location - Seems to invade everything, we didn't used to have it but the last
few years it has inveigled its way into the heather moor along the fence
Notes - These used to be used for basket type work, binding- it is extremely
strong, long and pliable once you get rid of the thorns

Rope No.63

Plant - Eared willow, leaves not out for a while yet but buds just beginning to show
Location - Roadside scrub bushes, very good wind breaks
Notes - Nice shoots, red to purple but not very long not so easy to make a length

Rope No.62

Plant - Purple moorgrass
Location - All around; white curved lines on the dark heather
Notes - Spring showers, very heavy bursts of rain and hail interspersed
with bright sun, feeling warm...

Rope No.61

Due to technical problems I wasn't able to access the internet so sorry about that

Plant - Palm leaf some sort of Cordyline I think
Location - York park beside the museum, under trees
Notes - These are wonderful to work, really strong and easy to split. These grow all
around in people's gardens so may well try this again. Am back on Skye after the
inspiring week of netmaking and knotting, always good to get home.

Rope No.60

Plant - Bog myrtle
Location - Heather patch of bog beside the house
Notes - Such strong colour, really lovely with rain on it - a vibrant
red / orange. Thought I would try this again in, but I can't find any
long lengths so it is a short rope and not very strong, but smells
lovely!

Rope No.59

Plant - Oat straw
Location - On the BA basket making courses in York
Notes - I am learning netting, knotting and tying techniques from Shuna Rendell
which is great, really exciting; the other courses are with Mary Butcher, Ted
Kelly and Joe Hogan. Ted is working with straw making hen houses.

Rope No.58

Plant - Grass short stems
Location - On the sheep grazing moorland on the way to the shore
Notes - I will identify this particular grass when it flowers later in the year. I
really like the way the different grasses look; the changing subtleties of texture,
colour and form.

Rope No.57

Plant - Soft rush
Location - Boggy ground beside the house
Notes - It forms thick clumps which no other plants can grow in

Rope No.56

Plant - Soft rush
Location - Clumps in grassland and heather
Notes - Invades where it can get a foothold and if not checked gradually
turns the ground boggy, because its roots clog the soil, but has other uses
and does make nice rope. This is from rushes which were left to dry a few
days before making the rope, it means they are more flexible and also the
rope doesn't shrink afterwards.

Rope No.55

Plant - Honeysuckle
Location - Climbing in a tree, the white strands remain from last year
Notes - This was a small scrap found on the track, made into a small
scrap of string

Rope No.54

Plant - Moss  Hylocomium splendens
Location - Entangled with other plants in the undergrowth, amongst heather, grass etc.
Notes - It still amazes me that I can make a short rope from this delicate moss, which
isn't particularly strong or long

Rope No.53

Plant - Hazel
Location - Cleared land beneath electricity cables, trees and bushes are cut down beneath
power lines to stop them getting entangled and causing power cuts
Notes - I had been thinking Hazel was one tree that I would try soon and here all the branches
were cut down ready for use